Strategic planning about strategic plans

What is your strategy for creating a strategic plan?

Your Rant: I’ve never been part of a strategic planning process. What can you do to come up with a well thought out plan?

911 Repair,

Have you ever woken up during a road trip only to find your surroundings looking very similar to the scenery you passed hours ago? I once was driving with a friend to Florida and woke up to discover that my driving buddy had made a wrong turn and we had spent hours driving in the wrong direction. When I pointed out we were driving in the wrong direction he said, “At least we made great time.”

Sound similar to the last strategic planning session that you were involved with? You made progress, but much of it in the wrong direction? Or maybe you’ve just always wanted to be part of the decision making process for your company. I’ve listed three do’s and one don’t to help you exert the maximum influence over the direction that your company takes in the future. For more, check out Erica Olson’s book, “Strategic Planning for Dummies” (Wiley, 2007).

DO-Ask tough questions. One way to ensure that your strategic plan is pointed in the correct direction is to ask tough questions. What would happen if we lost our biggest customer? What if a new competitor entered our market? What could we do if the bottom dropped out of our industry? Start by taking off your rose-colored glassed and challenging every assumption out there about your industry, customers and business. And avoid the temptation of just mimicking what others in your industry are doing and tailor your plan to your company’s specific strengths and weaknesses.

DO-Look for leverage. Most of us focus on the “planning” part of strategic planning at the expense of the “strategic” part. What is unique about your company? What do your customers like about working with you? What don’t they like about working with you? The overused phrase here is “competitive advantage.” What do you do better than anyone else in the market and how can you leverage that? Or what are you doing that you shouldn’t be doing?

DO-Get everyone involved. Many organizations restrict participation in planning to the corner office crowd. Unfortunately, many of the breakthrough ideas come from the front lines, from the people actually interacting with customers and suppliers. Look for ways to get all the stakeholders involved in the process-focus groups, surveys, town-hall style meetings. I’m not suggestion chaos, but a process that includes a wide range of perspectives and opinions.

DON’T-Seek to control the process. Corporations hate surprises. Strategic planning processes should be full of surprises, because they are looking into the future. Be careful to not stifle brainstorming or dissent. The more reality that gets into the process, the better your company will be position to handle the reality it faces in the future.

Follow these tips and your planning process will make great progress, in the correct direction.

Thought for the Week

“Plans are nothing, planning is everything.” President Dwight Eisenhower

Bob Rosner and Sherrie Campbell author the nationally syndicated workplace911 column weekly. Bob’s a best-selling author and award-winning journalist who has responded to over 50,000 emails from employees, bosses and entrepreneurs. Sherrie’s a relationship expert and award-winning comedian who has offered quick, intuitive and humorous responses to over 30,000 people. He’s been called “Dilbert, with a solution.” She’s the counselor with a kick. Together they’ve turned rants into raves via TV, radio, print and live on their website at workplace911.com.